Comfort of a Friend
by StarTraveler
Summary: Takes place after episode 3 Tom and Rachel have a much needed talk.


Disclaimer: The Last Ship belongs to TNT if it were mine there'd be more Tom/Rachel interaction

AN: I was inspired from watching the third ep, about to go bonkers from the lack of Tom/Rachel interaction. This came to me after rewatching the scene where Rachel was talking to her doctor friend, everyone else was preoccupied and not noticing her, I had wished Tom had spared a look at least. Unbeated so sorry for all the errors.

Rachel quickly put her computer screen down, unable to bear looking at the picture she had as her screen saver.

Michael, her heart ached for him. He had been in China when she'd set out for her mission in the arctic and that nation had been heavily devastated, due both to the virus and the fighting between people.

He was more than likely dead and she would regret never being there with him to provide comfort, they had been together for almost three years and he'd been the first one she could actually see herself marrying.

But at the same time it had felt good to talk to Marcus, to help make the world a better place.

She decided to go for a walk through the ship and as she walked she then thought of Captain Chandler.

In the months she'd known him, he had gone from just a navy captain she only needed to get her to the arctic, to a valuable ally, and she could admit it, a dear friend.

She had barely seen him since the hell Baltimore had turned out to be, their last real conversation had been when she had given him the cure.

But he had been more than preoccupied making sure the missions to distribute the cure would go as successfully as possible.

Also taking up his attention, his family, rescuing them from Olympia and saving them from the virus.

Unfortunately he'd been unable to save his wife.

She'd seen his father and two children on the boat as they had headed back to the Nathan James, but she had been preoccupied with helping Alicia.

Tom had formerly introduced her to his family two days later but it had been a fifteen minute meeting as she was needed in the lab and Chandler on the bridge.

They had thanked her for curing them and she had asked them what they thought of the ship, but the three Chandlers hadn't been in a talkative mood.

Not that she could blame them.

She wished she could have a better chance to know them, but they were now back on Norfolk.

The captain had left two days ago.

Rachel found herself on the outside deck and stared up at the stars beautiful and peaceful, completely opposite of what was churning inside of her.

Anger at the events in Baltimore, the loss of Quincy, exhaustion of working long hours, and now needing to face the possibility of Michael gone forever.

The tears started streaming down her cheeks then sobs racked her body.

Tom Chandler got up from his bed, his body and mind at war with each other, it was obvious he wasn't going to get any sleep.

It had been a full day since he'd returned to the ship, he knew his father would keep them safe and hopefully Kelly and Ava would help provide further stability.

It had been a fulfilling couple of days, the cure reaching other places so more people could be helped.

He then remembered seeing Rachel at the video screen, preoccupied with talking to the other doctor, he remembered she had looked upset but at the time he'd been occupied.

How long it had been since he'd really talked to her?

Since he'd left her in that hellhole Granderson called her headquarters, when he was consumed with finding his family.

I just left her there to their mercy who knows what could've happened if the resistance hadn't agreed to work with him, if she'd been held captive longer.

He had failed her so much.

His body moved before his mind caught up, he needed to find her, to try to make things right.

He checked her lab but she wasn't there, then he tried the mess hall but no one had seen her.

That left the outside deck and he quickly went up there.

He could hear sobbing, and it was the sound of absolute pain. He saw Rachel sitting, her knees bent up and her head lowered.

"Rachel?" He whispered her name quietly.

She looked up at him, her heartbreak on her face and eyes broke his heart.

He sat next to her, "I want to try to help."

She laid her head on his shoulder, "Michael." She whispered, brokenly.

He put his arm around her, "Let it out."

She cried some more and then the sobbing slowly stopped, "He's a…. or he was a freelance reporter, he was working in China when the virus and government violence was at its height."

"I'm so sorry." He told her.

"We're all using those words a lot, Captain."

"I think after all we've been through you can call me Tom."

She grinned; "And you can say Rachel."

They both grinned briefly, "Feels good to have something to smile about." She told him.

"I know, I'm so sorry Rachel."

She looked shocked, "What for?"

"For not being more available so you could have someone to talk to the last week or two, and for leaving you with Granderson."

"You couldn't have known what was going to happen, none of us could predict any of what was going to happen I don't blame you."

"You should all I was thinking about was my family..."

"Which you had every right to, you got to them and helped saved many more people by exposing Granderson's horrors."

Tom took a ragged breath, "I couldn't save Darien."

He realized it was the first time he'd said her name in quite a while.

"I'm sure if you could speak with her she'd be proud of you. I never got a chance to tell you how sorry I am."

He nodded, "I'm sorry about Quincy, I was looking forward to getting to know him, for him to get another chance at everything."

They sat together quietly, trying to piece together their shattered emotions and taking comfort in the closeness being in each other's presence always gave them.

"Rachel, I want us to make a promise to each other."

"And that is?"

"No matter how busy we get, how bad the mission gets, we find time to talk personally, and we are stronger around each other."

"I completely agree." She told him.

He stood first and helped her up, then escorted her to her quarters.

Months ago they had been total strangers.

Now they were forever bound to each other in a bond they knew they'd never find with anyone else.

AN: I enjoyed most of the last episode except the Rachel/Tex scene but my theory is she's lonely and Tom was busy with his family and ship, so she knew she could find someone to have some companionship with. Also could've done without Kelly touching Tom's face but at least he didn't react. Hopefully next ep we'll start getting some Tom/Rachel.


End file.
